Shameless
by JLaLa
Summary: "Psycho-analyze us all you want," Katniss told him. "It all comes down to two people who just enjoy sex and hate everything after it." Two friends-no values. What happens when love comes into play? Formerly the dysfunctional!Everlark series on Tumblr.
1. Part One

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Shameless

 _ **Part One**_

The girl stood at the bar, pretty but unkempt. Mascara ran down her creamy face and her sweetly scented blonde hair was messily arranged. She was wearing a short, gold lamé dress and matching pumps accentuating her long, spray-tanned legs.

She was a hot mess.

She was perfect.

"What's wrong, honey?" Katniss asked as she joined the girl at the bar. "You look like you could use a drink." She smiled at the bartender. "Shot of vodka for myself and the lady." Once the glasses were placed in front of them, Katniss handed the girl her shot. "Drink."

Blondie had no qualms with throwing the drink back. Girls could be so trusting.

Had this girl ever watched _Dateline_? Or read some sort of stupid Cosmo article about date rape drugs?

And, Katniss was goddamn stranger.

"My ex-boyfriend…just got engaged to one of my best friends!" The girl suddenly burst out. A fresh set of sobs overtook her. "They were fucking behind my back for a year! Now, they're pretending like they're this perfect little couple and no one is saying anything! They're having their engagement party in the penthouse suite of this hotel right now. "

Katniss grimaced. "Wow, that's fucked up."

"God, I wish there was way to get them back!" The girl mused to herself.

Katniss handed Blondie a which she took.

Fucking gullible.

"There are the usual things," Katniss told her. "A passive-aggressive congratulations speech at the wedding reception…having sex with one of their relatives…or better yet—having loud, raunchy sex, _right now_ , during their engagement party."

She took a sip from her own martini glass and smiled at the girl.

"And, you're so pretty! I bet any one of their groomsmen would love to have a piece of you."

The girl gave her a hopeful smile. "Really?"

Hook, line, and sinker—this was too easy.

"Sorry, I'm so late!" The handsome blond rushed over to Katniss. "Wall Street can't run without me apparently." He gave the toasted blonde a grin. "Hello there."

The girl preened, her eyes wide at the good-looking man in front of her. "Hello."

Katniss looked over at the man and winked before turning to her new 'friend'.

"Let me introduce you to my friend, Peeta Mellark…"

* * *

 _The next morning..._

Blondie emerged from Peeta's room, tittering on gold heels, and wearing her friend's long dress shirt.

Katniss was already sitting in their small living room, dressed in her fitted black blazer and matching pencil skirt as she sipped her morning coffee.

She always dressed nicely for the usual 'parting'.

Also, she had a Development meeting in an hour.

"Hello," the girl mumbled, surprised at seeing Katniss in front of her. "Where's Peeta?"

Katniss sighed in mock-sympathy.

"He's already gone," she explained. Katniss stood up and went to the girl. "This is always the hardest part…"

Katniss walked with her towards the front door of the apartment. She linked their arms as she opened the door and they walked out together.

"What do you mean?" the girl replied as she was led down the hallway and towards the elevators.

Katniss turned to her. "What's your name?"

The girl looked blankly at her before responding, "Sherri."

"Well Terri—" The girl didn't correct her. "—Peeta isn't one of those men who can commit to anyone. He wanted me to tell you that he had a wonderful time and he'll never forget you but he just can't devote himself to anything but his work."

"Should I leave him my number?" Blonde Mary asked, her obviously fake eyelashes blinking at Katniss in inquiry.

"I think you should just leave it to fate," Katniss responded simply. The elevator bell rang and the door opened. She gently ushered the girl in. "There's a taxi downstairs waiting for you. Nice meeting you, Carrie!"

"The name is Sherr—"

The elevator door closed before the girl could finish.

Katniss waited until she was sure that what's-her-name was already in the lobby. When the elevator level went to **L** , she made her way back to the apartment and closed the door to await her friend.

* * *

Peeta arrived ten minutes later, bag of bagels in one hand and a smug grin on his face.

"Welcome home, dearest," Katniss greeted him as he plopped himself on the couch next to her.

"Any problems with Tina?" He took a whole wheat bagel from the bag, her favorite, and put schmear on it with one of the disposable knifes from the bag.

"No, there were no issues with _Sherri_ ," she informed him. "Other than her making the worse sex noises, last night. When I came home from dinner with Annie, I thought you dumped her and were fucking a horse in your bedroom."

"I pretty much rode her like one," Peeta retorted cheekily as he handed her the bagel. "She kept on saying stupid shit like ' _Give it to me, Daddy…_ '" He shivered in disgust. "Nothing is creepier than that—you don't think I look old enough to be a father, do you?"

Katniss looked over to examine her friend.

Peeta had a classically handsome face, nicely chiseled and square-jawed with an aristocratic nose. His slightly waved blond hair was neatly brushed back and his eyes were bright blue surrounded by dark lashes that any girl would kill for. He had that cocky smile that annoyed her yet made other women swoon.

"You're fine," she finally responded. Her hand reached over to graze his chin. "But, you could use a shave."

"Want to shave me?" he asked with a smirk.

Katniss shook her head and reached for his coffee cup.

She chuckled. "No, thanks." After taking a sip, she turned the cup to look at the name and number scribble on it. "But maybe _Kendra_ would like to take a razor to your nuts."

"No, thanks," Peeta retorted. "A lot of teeth on that one, now she actually looked like a horse."

Her phone beeped and Katniss took a look at the message. "Johanna is coming into the city...with a man." Peeta raised a brow. "The same one that she was seeing last year…I'll be damn."

"What time is dinner?" he asked as he opened her _Vogue_ on their coffee table. Peeta's eyes briefly looked at the picture of Emma Watson. "Too young for my blood…"

"Six," she said as she responded to the message. Katniss closed the magazine on his fingers. "She's too smart for you, too." She looked at her watch. "You have work in an hour. You better go and wash the scent of glitter powder and regret from your loins."

Peeta stood up, removing his shirt, and exposing his perfectly-formed abs to her admiring eyes.

"I'll see you at six," Peeta told her as he pulled his pants off and headed to their bathroom. He turned to her and winked. "Have a good day at work, sweetheart."

She snorted as she stood up to leave. "I'll be sure to think of that perfectly sculpted rear today."

Peeta leaned against the archway leading to bathroom and their bedrooms.

"Or, you can be late and tell me about my perfectly sculpted rear," he suggested.

Her eyes went to his lower half where his long, thick cock, between his firm thighs, beckoned.

She was almost tempted to take him up on the offer.

But, they were never that kind of duo.

* * *

"So, you've all known each other since you were kids?" Haymitch, Johanna's date, asked Peeta.

"Yup, pretty much," Peeta told the man with a smile. "Since the day that Katniss flashed me her frilly panties in first grade and Johanna, her mean cousin, pants me while I was distracted."

Haymitch put an arm around Johanna. "You and Katniss have a mean streak, don't you?" He grinned at the woman affectionately.

Johanna harrumphed. "Please. You want to see fucked up?" She looked over at Katniss and Peeta. "Look at these two."

"What?" Katniss responded. She took a sip of her martini and crossed her tanned legs. Peeta admired them, nicely displayed in her fitted navy dress, and his hand went to the top of her thigh to give it a squeeze. He ignored the twitch of his cock in his dress pants feeling her smooth skin under his palm. "We're perfectly normal."

"Normal?" Johanna responded. "You two have the most dysfunctional relationship that I've ever seen."

"We learned from you!" Peeta responded with a smirk. "Your moves have made us who we are." He nodded over at Haymitch. "And, obviously they worked."

"Well, I'm changing all that," Johanna retorted before looking to Haymitch and taking his hand. "Kids, we're getting married."

"Oh my God—" Katniss almost sprayed out her drink but recovered quickly, swallowing it down. "—are you pregnant?"

"No!" Johanna protested and met her fiancé's eyes. "But we'd like to try as soon as we're married."

"I'm old," Haymitch added. "Might have slow swimmers so it's best we get you up-the-duff as soon as we can."

"I need another drink." Peeta signaled the waiter and held out his cup of rum and coke.

"It's not the end of the world," Johanna said consolingly. "And, you still have each other."

"That is true." Katniss looked over at Peeta, her bottom lip pursed out enticingly. "Will you still help me have awesome sex with strangers and then get them out of our apartment?"

Peeta took her hand and kissed the top of it. "I do." He put her index finger in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and tasting the sweetness of her skin. "Will you promise to do the same?"

She stared at him, her grey eyes molten with sudden arousal. "I will."

"I have a question," Haymitch suddenly said to the pair. "Have you two ever slept with each other?"

"Yup," they chorused.

"Biggest cock I've ever seen," Katniss told the man.

"Katniss has great nipples—they're like candy—I could suck on them all day," Peeta said.

"Okay…" Haymitch looked between the shameless pair. "So, why aren't you just having sex with each other?"

"Simple," Katniss told him. "Nothing that great can last forever."

"Eventually the fire will fade," Peeta added. "And, we will have nothing but resentful words and a messed-up friendship in front of us."

"Seems like you're both afraid of committing," Haymitch relayed simply.

"Psycho-analyze us all you want," Katniss told him. "It all comes down to two people who just enjoy sex and hate everything after it." Her eyes widened as she looked at someone behind the couple in front of her. "Peeta—dark-hair in the black suit at the bar."

Peeta looked up quickly at the man before looking to his friend. "Obnoxious suitor?"

"Sure." Her eyes went to the man at the bar. "He looks like the savior type." Standing up, she smoothed down her dress. "Five minutes."

Katniss walked over to the bar, standing next to the guy but not facing him.

"Oh God, we're about to see magic," Johanna told her fiancé.

The waiter placed Peeta's new glass in front of him as he loosened his tie and mussed his hair.

"How do I look?" he asked the couple.

"Like you're going to get your ass whooped," Johanna retorted.

"Enjoy your evening, you two," Peeta said. "We'll call you tomorrow for dinner at our place."

"See you then," Johanna said.

Peeta splashed a little of the rum on his own charcoal suit. He grinned at the couple. "Also—congratulations."

Walking away, Johanna and Haymitch observed as Peeta swayed towards his friend at the bar.

"HEY—WHAT'S UP GIRL?" Peeta yelled loudly, catching the attention of everyone including Katniss' dark-haired mystery man. His hand went to her bottom. "DAMN—YOU'RE HOT!"

"Let me guess," Haymitch said as he watched the scene in front of him. "'Obnoxious suitor'?"

Johanna nodded. "They've gotten really good at this bit."

She watched as Katniss gave Peeta a mock-offended frown and moved away from him, putting her closer to her intended target. The handsome man glared at Peeta before noticing the pretty woman next to him.

Suddenly, the man was standing in front of Katniss as he glared at Peeta defensively. Katniss turned to the couple at the table and stuck her tongue out.

"Holy crap," Haymitch said as Johanna laughed at the spectacle at the bar. "What am I marrying into?"

* * *

Peeta adjusted his tie in front of his mirror before stepping out into the hallway. It was still early morning and Katniss would have already left for work at this point.

Thus, it would be his turn to let her paramour down easily.

Peeta had to say—he was surprised by the loudness of Katniss' moans when he entered the apartment last night. His friend was usually all about the fake cries of encouragement during her romps.

When Peeta walked out into the front room, he was surprised to find Katniss in the kitchen and the dark-haired man standing at the counter sipping from _his_ mug.

"Morning, Peeta," Katniss said. She walked over to him and handed him a mug. "We got caught." Turning to the man, she smiled prettily. "Gale saw right through us."

He pushed down the rise of irritation at the admiring glance that Katniss gave the man.

Peeta held out his hand to the man in front of him. "Sorry about that. Had to help a friend out."

The man gave him a pleasant smile. "No problem, it worked out." He beamed at Katniss, who blushed. "Gale Hawthorne."

"Peeta Mellark," he responded as they shook hands. "I'm going to head out to work." Without thinking, Peeta kissed Katniss' cheek. "See you tonight? Johanna and Haymitch want to come for dinner."

Katniss nodded. "Sure. I'm having a drink with Gale later but I'll be home after."

Peeta bristled at her words. "No problem." He nodded at Gale. "Nice meeting you."

"You too, Peeta," Gale responded. "Hope to see you, again."

Making his way to the front door, Peeta felt his steps grow heavier listening to the two laughing quietly together. He took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping out into the empty corridor.

This guy would be gone by tomorrow.

Peeta was sure of it.

However, he couldn't help but remember Katniss' moans from last night. She almost sounded like she had…when they had been together.

Peeta didn't like the way that Gale smiled at Katniss or the way she smiled at him.

They almost looked like they liked each other.

Standing in front of the elevator, Peeta waited, though his eyes flitted over to where their apartment door stood.

What were they doing? Was Katniss feeding the guy breakfast? Were they going to do it again?

But, there were rules: it was only supposed to happen _once_. Gale was supposed to be gone by now and _he_ was supposed to be enjoying breakfast with Katniss.

The elevator door opened and Peeta stepped in, still trying to contemplate what the hell he was feeling.

It suddenly came to him in a flash.

"Oh, fuck."

The elevator door closed as Peeta realized that he had broken the most important rule.

He liked Katniss.

* * *

Continue on...


	2. Part Two

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Shameless

 _ **Part Two**_

Peeta walked into the apartment later that afternoon and was surprised to find his roommate in the kitchen, bent in front of their open refrigerator.

"I have to say, Katniss," he told her. "You and a fridge full of food are my two favorite things in the world."

"Oh, please." Her voice echoed from the depths of the fridge. "I know you're just dying to know if I'm wearing any underwear—" Peeta leaned down to peek beneath the fitted skirt of her charcoal dress. "—I'm not by the way."

"Had to cool off your snatch after this morning?" he asked with a smirk.

Katniss finally straightened up and turned to him, nipples peaked from the coolness of the fridge.

He was pretty sure that she wasn't wearing a bra.

The thought alone got him hard.

She gave him a sardonic smile, holding out a plate of steaks to him. "I know how familiar you are with pounding meat," Katniss told him. "Start working on these."

Peeta took the plate and went to the dark marble kitchen counter, next to the fridge.

"Speaking of meat, I thought you were having drinks with Gale." His mouth twisted in a semi-sneer saying her paramour's name. "Did you smother Prince Charming to death during breakfast?"

"No, he had an unexpected meeting," Katniss informed him as she reached into a nearby cupboard to pull out the box of risotto that was Johanna's favorite. "And, how was your day, dearest?"

"You know the usual." He took out the meat pounder from the drawer below him. "Meeting, meeting, stocks, stocks, blowjob, bonds, meeting."

Katniss smirked. "I hope the meetings went well."

"Sometimes, I don't know why I'm work at that bullshit office," he told her. "Then, I remember my passable blowjob and how I have a Maserati in our garage—and it keeps me from jumping off a building."

"Passable blowjob, huh?" Katniss went to him, hopping onto the counter, next to the plate of meat. "Was it Finnick's secretary? The one with the tits that almost knocked me into a coma?"

Peeta had taken Katniss to his last Christmas party. He needed someone to keep him from screwing his boss' hot daughter who always attended.

Tawny or Tammi—he could never remember her name and just referred to her as 'Finnick's secretary'—hugged Katniss, smothering his friend in-between her silicone pillows.

He made sure to capture the moment on film.

Finnick blew the picture up and had an 8x10 of it at his desk.

"Not her—some intern," Peeta said. "She had one of those names that sounded like she was a stripper on the side—Felicia or Calandra or Tits McGee—something like that. Anyway, mouth like a Hoover but very little hand-play with Brad and Liam."

Katniss shook her head as she chuckled at his words. "God, I keep forgetting that you named your nads." Her eyes went to his suit pants. "How are the old boys doing?"

"Missing you," Peeta told her with a grin. "After all, you were their first friend." He put the meat mallet down. "And, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't know how to suck cock like a pro."

"Please—the first time I let you into this beautiful garden, you almost bit my clit off! I made you a pussy champ," Katniss retorted. "Though I'm sure you've forgotten everything I taught you."

Their teenage years had been spent experimenting with one another.

Katniss never wanted a boyfriend and he wasn't into the whole high-school sweetheart bullshit.

Peeta didn't want to marry some townie, get a job in their district's manufacturing factory, and spend his life supporting children destined to do the same.

Instead, he studied hard, blew Katniss once in a while, and got into Yale on a full scholarship.

Katniss chose to devote her time to her younger sister, Prim, and their father. Her mother had taken off when she was six, making Katniss the woman of the house. She had the same mentality—she didn't want to be stuck having some man's babies and putting herself second.

So she got into top fifteenth percentile in high school, sat on Peeta's face after she was done studying, and ended up getting a job at the biggest marketing firm in Manhattan.

Peeta went to her, his hands pushing up her skirt to expose her bare hips before pulling her to the edge of the counter.

Slowly kneeling on the soft paneled wood of the floor, he gently pushed her thighs apart, kissing the soft skin, and taking in the heady, arousing scent coming from her center. She shifted on the marble, resting her calves along his back.

"May I?" Peeta asked with eager eyes. "I don't want you to think that I've learned nothing from you."

Katniss gave him a smile. "How pissed do you think Johanna will be when she finds out what happened next to her dinner?"

* * *

"Wow, you two can actually cook," Johanna said as she took a sip of wine from her glass. "I'm surprised. The last time I visited, the only thing that you had in the fridge was a chocolate cream pie with two forks sticking out of it."

"Well, the last time you were here—we just moved in and didn't have any furniture!" Katniss protested. "You see—" She took a gulp of wine from her own glass. "—Peeta and I are grown-ups now."

"How long have you been living together?" Haymitch asked as he poured some wine into his glass and then refilled Johanna's.

"Three years," Peeta replied as he put an arm around Katniss. "Three dirty, dirty years…"

Katniss met his eyes, her cheeks scarlet from the wine. "Here, here…"

She held out her wine glass and he picked his up to clink them together.

That strange, sudden heat hit him and the furious pounding inside his chest was making it hard to breathe.

Katniss was amazingly beautiful. He wondered if he should tell her.

Then the thought of sounding like a complete asshole had him shutting his trap.

Katniss' cell phone interrupted their intimate stare. She picked it up quickly, her eyes widening as she saw the name on her screen.

"It's Gale!" She pressed the phone to her ear before standing up and stepping away from the dining room table. "Hello…"

Peeta watched her go to their balcony, her smile bright as she spoke on the phone.

Did she ever smile that bright when she was with him?

"You little shit." He turned to see Johanna grinning at him. "You _love_ Katniss."

"Of course, I love her," he stated. "She's my friend."

"I think she means that you're in love with Katniss," Haymitch explained. "Even a complete stranger like me can tell. You want it to be real."

"What?" Peeta asked defensively. "What do I want to be real?"

"All this," the man informed him in a matter-of-fact voice. "The sappy looks, the close touches…they're not just because she's right in front of you. They're because it's her."

"Oh God, I always knew it!" Johanna told him. "Don't even try to lie to me, Peeta Mellark! I can read you and Katniss better than anyone."

He looked over to where Katniss was still on the phone, grinning as she twisted her hair around her finger.

Fuck—hewas jealous.

Looking to the couple, Peeta suddenly glared.

"This is _your_ fault! Making everyone around you monogamous!" He threw his napkin down. "I was perfectly happy screwing anything in sight before you two came along…"

"Jesus Christ, Peeta! You make us sound like a disease," Johanna responded as she cut into her steak.

"You might as well be," Peeta grumbled. He took the wine bottle next to Haymitch and poured the remaining liquid into his glass, gulping it down in one breath. "I'm going to go get more wine."

"Buck up, Peeta—falling in love isn't all that bad," Haymitch told him with a smirk.

Peeta stood up to go to the kitchen. "Oh, screw you!"

"Quit the melodramatics," Johanna said

The couple chuckled as he rounded the table to head to the kitchen.

Suddenly, he turned to them, his grin malicious.

"And by the way—I ate Katniss out right before I seasoned those steaks!"

Haymitch looked down at his plate, putting his fork down. "There goes my appetite."

Johanna speared his steak to put it on her plate.

* * *

Peeta stepped out onto the balcony just as Katniss hung up the phone.

"Looks like you had a good conversation," he remarked as he approached her.

"It was nice," Katniss said. "Being thought of and even missed…Gale actually said that he missed me."

Peeta raised a brow at her words. "Coming on a little strong, don't you think?"

"Maybe." She looked through the balcony door to find the dining room empty. "Where are Johanna and Haymitch?"

"They had to leave," Peeta told her. "Something about going to a show or something though Haymitch doesn't seem like a show tunes kind of man to me. Johanna really has him wrapped around her finger." He met her eyes. "Speaking of which, how is your young suitor?"

"He invited me to go to the Hamptons with him," she said, her eyes going to the ground. "His mother has a house up there and Gale wants to introduce us."

"Wow—he must really like you," he replied easily.

"I guess so." Katniss looked out at the view in front of her. Their balcony faced Central Park East and they paid a pretty penny for it. "I guess you can blame this all on Johanna and Haymitch."

He joined her at the ledge. "What do you mean?"

"Johanna is a year older than me and she's getting married," she explained. "She's happy and she's in love. It's like a sign. Maybe it's my turn." Katniss turned to him. "One day, I'm going to get tired of the game. I want to do something about it before that happens."

"All because Johanna is getting married?" he asked. "Keep in mind—she was banging everything in sight before Haymitch."

"There had to be something that changed her mind," Katniss insisted. "Because there must be something better than this." She let out a frustrated breath. "There has to be."

Peeta looked at her questioningly. "Is the life we're living so bad?"

"For you, maybe not." Katniss met his eyes. "You decide to never get married or have children—you'll be a bachelor. I decide to never get married or have children—I'm a spinster or an old maid. I don't want to be that Upper East Side cougar still having sex with guys who could've been the same age as my son."

"That won't happen," he assured her, his hand going to her cheek. "I wouldn't let that happen to you."

"Maybe that's why I need to see where this goes with Gale," Katniss told him with a sad smile. "So I don't end up the nanny to your kids!"

The words came without a thought. "Or, you could be the mother of them."

Did he really just say that?

She laughed lightly at his words. "Be serious."

Peeta smiled half-heartedly. "I suppose I would make a horrendous father."

"Not even close." Katniss brushed her lips against his quickly. "I'm going to bed."

He turned back to gaze out at the view, letting his cheeks cool from his humiliating words.

Suddenly, a question entered his mind.

"Hey Katniss?" His friend was at the door and quickly turned at his call. "Is Gale better than me? You know—in that?"

She stared at Peeta for a moment before sliding the door close and going to where he stood once more.

Standing before him, Katniss pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth.

"Honey, if Gale was better than you—I would've married him by now."

* * *

Onward...


	3. Part Three

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Shameless

 _ **Part Three**_

' _What do you think about joining me this weekend? –G'_

Katniss bit her lip, hesitating to answer. Usually, she had no issues with letting a guy loose but Gale was nice. He was really boyfriend-slash-lover potential and it almost seemed like a waste to break it off.

However, her mind would often drift off to Peeta.

It was pathetic, really.

Making up her mind, Katniss typed back her reply: _'Not sure…-K'_

There was a knock and Katniss looked up to see her cousin grinning at her from the doorway.

"What's up, boss bitch?" Johanna greeted. "You ready for lunch?"

Glowing and gorgeous, her cousin seemed to be emanating love. The tight black dress and the huge diamond on her left ring finger definitely added to the effect.

God, she hated and envied Johanna.

"Yeah." Katniss grabbed her purse and stood up quickly. "Let's roll."

"Who were you texting?" her cousin asked as they got to the elevator. "Peeta?"

"No—Gale," she replied. "He's asking for a definite answer to whether or not I'm going to the Hamptons with him."

"You don't usually hesitate with your answers," Johanna responded, her deep brown eyes peering at Katniss. "Would this have anything to do with Peeta?"

The elevator door opened and Katniss quickly walked inside. "Of course not! Peeta has nothing to do with my hesitation."

Johanna followed her inside and turned to her as the door closed. "So there's hesitation?"

"Well, this trip means something!" she replied. "I would be meeting his mother and his family, going to the place where he spent a lot of his childhood. That means a lot of serious shit."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Johanna countered. "I thought that was the whole reason that you weren't making love to Peeta. You wanted the whole serious relationship thing."

"Who the fuck says 'making love'?" Katniss made a face at the expression. "And, it's not me who's not into the whole serious relationship crap—"

Johanna suddenly struck the emergency stop on the elevator and their elevator shook for a moment before finally stopping in-between the 11th and 12th floor. Her cousin stood in front of the button panel to prevent Katniss from touching it.

Johanna crossed her arms. "What did you say?"

"I said nothing," Katniss told her. "Nothing that matters."

"No, no…" Johanna began to march towards her and instinctively Katniss backed away until she was against the opposite wall with the woman directly in her face. "Little Catnip, are you telling me that you have a thing for Peeta?"

"I hate when you call me that!" Katniss replied. "Gale called me that as a joke and I nearly broke his wrist!"

"You're avoiding my question." Johanna pressed herself against Katniss. "Answer me."

"My God—your boobs are huge!" Katniss looked down at her cousin's abundant rack. "Are you pregnant?"

"Yes but that's beside the point," Johanna said. "Why won't you answer me?"

"Because…" Katniss looked down at her patent leather Gucci heels. "…if I admit it then it's real."

"Katniss, you adorable, little dumbass..." Her cousin was suddenly hugging her. "Why would not believe that Peeta didn't feel the same way about you?"

"Because he's in love with his boss' daughter," Katniss told her. Unbelievably, her eyes started to water. "And, Madge Undersee is nothing, if not, perfect. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and looks like Dianna Agron—with huge tits."

Katniss remembered how Peeta practically salivated over the girl during the Christmas party that he had taken her to. What was worse was that Madge was actually really nice, which made it even harder for Katniss to imagine herself stepping on the woman's head with her stilettos.

Madge was perfect and pure. She would be the one to change Peeta.

Katniss had known Peeta for years and there had been no sign that things would change, even after the one night they had.

"Do you really think that a huge rack is going to distract Peeta from you?" Johanna asked as she sat down on the floor and pulled out a bottle of water. She uncapped it and took a sip before reaching into her bag once more. "Peeta has screwed many big boobies but none of them have distracted him from your tiny little nubs." She took out a bottle of pills and unscrewed the bottle. "Prenatal vitamin." Her cousin popped a pill into her mouth.

"My breasts are perfectly fine in my eyes," Katniss said as she took off her heels and joined the woman on the floor. "It's more than that. Madge is sweet, smart, and she's actually not a bad person. It's hard not to like her." She turned to Johanna. "Do you know how many guys I had to screw to get the image of Peeta falling all over her out of my head?"

Johanna tilted her head in curiosity. "How many?"

Katniss met her cousin's eyes. "Too many—but nothing has worked. Gale is the first guy who has sort of distracted me."

"You two are pathetic," Johanna declared. "You go around spouting that you enjoy the fucks but really you don't. You just enjoy the fucks—if they're with each another." She met Katniss' eyes. "Open those pretty, grey eyes and look at what is in front of you! My God! Don't talk to me until you know what the hell is going on!"

Katniss turned away from Johanna. She hated to admit that the woman had a point. She and Peeta had been denying whatever they had for so long and she couldn't remember why.

"I know what you're thinking," she finally said to Johanna. "But telling Peeta and risking our friendship won't do."

"Then what?" Her cousin asked.

"I go with Gale to the Hamptons," Katniss replied simply. "I meet his mother and see what happens. It's not that hard to pretend that I'm into it. I've been doing it long enough."

"You really are brainless," Johanna told her as she rested back against the wall of the elevator. She sighed in aggravation. "Do me a favor: don't accept Gale just yet. Tell Peeta that you're going with Gale and just see his reaction…okay?"

"Fine," Katniss said as she stood up and offered her hand to Johanna to help her up. "I have to tell him, anyway."

Katniss went to the elevator panel and pressed the emergency stop to continue their journey. Johanna joined her, watching the numbers descend.

Suddenly something rushed back into Katniss' mind.

"Wait—" She whipped over to Johanna. "Did you just say that you were pregnant?"

Her cousin rolled her eyes as she not-so-discreetly touched her stomach. "That was five minutes ago! Are you slow?"

"Whatever!" Katniss hugged the woman as the door opened to a crowd of people waiting for the elevator. "So Haymitch doesn't have slow swimmers!"

* * *

Peeta heard the front door open as he got out of the shower. One more day until the weekend and he knew exactly what he wanted to do: sit around in his sweats, watch a movie with Katniss and persuade her to take her top off.

"Gorgeous—" He entered the living room as he looked down to wrap his towel around his waist. "—what do you think about Chinese for dinner?"

"Sounds good, sweetheart." Haymitch sat on his couch, a cup filled with amber liquid in his hands and a smirk on his face. "I prefer Thai food though."

"HOLY SHIT!" Peeta tightened his towel. "How did you get in here?"

Haymitch held out his hand to present a set of keys. "Johanna leant them to me—right after she twisted my arm to get my ass over here and talk to you. Didn't want our kid to have two dumbass people as its Aunt and Uncle."

"What are you talking about?" Peeta said defensively.

"I'm talking about you and Katniss screwing around and ignoring your feelings," Haymitch told him. "Sit down—your washboard abs are distracting—and making me feel bad about my gut."

Peeta shrugged before joining the man on the couch.

He looked over at the older man and gave him a cocky smile. "You don't really have a gut."

"I didn't come here for your glorification," Haymitch retorted. "I could give two shits if you want to continue being a little dipshit and sticking your dick wherever you want. But, Johanna loves you and Katniss. So, I guess I gotta care about you too."

"We're not exactly asking you to change us," Peeta said, anger evident in his voice. "You don't know us."

"Peeta, your mother was a crazy woman who would take anything within her grasp and hit you with it," the man told him. "Katniss' mother was gone before she could deal with becoming a woman. You were both young, lost, and horny so you took whatever issues you had and used one another to fill the voids." Haymitch turned to him, a slightly drunken smile on his lips. "You just didn't mean to fall in love along the way."

Peeta shook his head. "So what?" He took the cup from Haymitch and took a swig. "Is it really going to change her mind? Katniss doesn't take me seriously."

"Because you've never given her the choice to actually do so," the man told him. "Did you ever try doing something romantic for her?"

Peeta guffawed. "Are you going to give me pointers?"

Haymitch reached over to smack the back of his head. "Don't be a smartass. That's rule number one. I'm the one who's getting married and having a kid. You're still smacking your head against silicone tits whenever you have the chance." He stood up and Peeta followed suit. "Turn on some music, put some goddamn candles on the table, and cook the girl dinner! It's not that hard! Now do you understand?"

Peeta suddenly grinned at him. "Did you say that you two were having a kid?"

"That was ten minutes ago!" Haymitch said in disbelief. "Do you not listen or are you just an idiot?"

His arms reached over to hug the new father. "So your swimmers aren't slow!"

Haymitch grimaced at the contact. "Please let go of me before your towel—" Peeta's towel fell to the ground. "—falls off."

* * *

Katniss opened the front door tiredly. The rest of the afternoon had consisted of long, boring meetings and constant texts from Gale. Not to mention, she was mentally exhausted by Johanna's lecture in the elevator.

She had resolved herself to talk to Peeta to tell him that she was done screwing around. Katniss was going to take her chance with Gale.

It was the most sensible choice.

' _The wrong choice_ ,' her treacherous mind retorted.

Closing the door, Katniss was abruptly aware of the soft music playing and the dimness of their entryway. She walked slowly down the long hallway leading to the kitchen and living room.

"Peeta?" she called out into the quiet apartment.

Katniss felt herself falter. He was probably in his room and judging by the music, he wasn't alone.

However when she entered the living room, Katniss was surprised to find him lighting a set of candles that sat atop their dining room table.

"Peeta? What's going on?" she asked.

He turned quickly, knocking one of the candles over, and it toppled to the ground as its flame burnt out.

"Shit!" Peeta went to his knees to pick it up. He looked up at her and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not good with fire."

She grinned back. "I know. You almost set my hair on fire once when we made s'mores in the fireplace." Her eyes went to the set table. "Are you expecting company? I'll get out of the way—"

"WAIT!" Peeta's voice echoed in their large living room and his hand reached for her arm. "Don't go."

"I'm not going to sit here while you diddle some chick." She glared at him. "I know we're into some freaky shit but come on!"

"No, I don't want to diddle some chick!" His hand went to his hair in frustration. "I WANT TO DIDDLE YOU!" Peeta turned around in embarrassment. "That was not what I wanted to say…"

"Did you really need to do the whole candle and music thing?" Katniss asked suspiciously. "I mean we could totally mess around. Unless you want something else. Oh God, you want to do anal—don't you? I told you that I drew the line at ass play…"

"This is not about ass play!" Peeta burst out. "Seriously, you really can't see a romantic gesture even when it's right in front of your face!"

Katniss looked at the set table with the lone candle and then at Peeta who was dressed in her favorite navy suit.

She put her hands on her hips. "Did Johanna tell you that I was going to the Hamptons with Gale this weekend?"

Peeta's face dropped. "You're going with Gale to the Hamptons?"

"I was thinking about it." Katniss sat down at the table. "You know the whole 'growing into a cougar thing' has been on my mind." She looked at him and felt herself suddenly overwhelmed with the day. "Johanna is having a baby."

"I know—the kid is going to drive them crazy," Peeta said as he knelt in front of her. He took her hand. "Katniss, don't go with Gale. I know you think that I can't give you commitment because you've never seen it from me, but I can."

"I know you can," she replied quietly. "But, what about Madge?"

"Madge Undersee?" Peeta peered up at her. "What about her?"

"You've gone to every Christmas party just to see her," Katniss told him. "You stay by her side and leave me alone with Finnick's secretary, Titties Galore. And, Madge is so damn cute that I could almost imagine myself going lesbian for her!"

Peeta chuckled. "While I would love to see you two make out, I'm not into Madge. I'm totally her beard. She's actually into Kylie."

She looked at him in confusion. "Who's Kylie?"

"Finnick's secretary," he responded. "How do you think that Finnick's been able to keep her for so long? She's not remotely interested in him despite his total peacock routine."

"Oh…now the really tight hugs make sense," Katniss said. She finally looked to him on his knees in front of her and a smile grew slowly onto her lips. "What are you trying to say?"

Peeta took her hands. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said with a smile. "Are you worried that you're going to lose me?"

"Yes but not in the way you think," Peeta said nervously. "I'm in love with you, Katniss. I can't sit around and watch you walk away from me so you can marry and have kids with some other guy! I want to be that guy!"

He took her face in his hands before brushing his lips to hers.

Katniss could taste the champagne on his tongue and she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck. As the kiss deepened, she pushed herself up onto her feet with Peeta following close behind. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close against his firm body.

She could feel the beginning of an erection against her pelvis as she pulled away, gasping for breath.

"God, you're really gunning for the whole anal thing," Katniss said with a grin. Her chest heaved against his and she could feel the rapid beating of her heart. "I'm might be in love with you enough to consider it."

"Oh yeah?" Peeta took her hand leading her to the hallway where their rooms were. "What could I do to guarantee it?"

"A nice ring would do. Maybe a kid or two," she suggested. "We'll just see how it goes."

Peeta pulled her close to stamp another kiss on her lips. "Is there a wedding somewhere in-between?"

She nodded and led him to her room. "Oh yeah—and some of those cutesy names that people like to call each other—honeybuns, snookums, pookie…any of those appealing?"

"Perfect." His hand reached to undo the zipper at the back of her dress. "And, eventually I'm going to just let go—you know, gain a bunch of weight and stuff."

She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and her hands began to undo the buttons of his crisp white shirt.

"I guess I better enjoy you now," Katniss replied with a grin.

They stopped at her doorway and she shimmied off her dark green shirt dress so that it fell to the ground in a graceful heap.

Katniss stood in her favorite black lace bra and matching boy shorts displaying her slim body to him.

Her eyes moved over to his hard abdomen and unconsciously she placed her hand against his heart.

"Peeta?" She looked up to meet his cerulean eyes. "Do you think we're going to get boring?"

"Baby—" Peeta lifted her chin and leaned forward to kiss her once more. "—we are _never_ going to be boring."

 **FIN.**

* * *

Stay tuned for the epilogue!


	4. Epilogue: Four Months Later

The character of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Shameless

 _ **Epilogue**_

Today was Rory's first day as a delivery boy.

So far, it had been uneventful: hand package to person, have person sign for package, and leave before they could slam the door in his face or have their dog chase him away.

The last delivery of his early morning shift was on the Upper East Side in some swanky high-rise where there was no doorman but a handprint scanner that you needed to touch before being allowed access. As Rory walked into the marble lobby, he was given a badge by a pretty blonde at the desk and told to make his way to the twelfth floor.

After reaching his floor, Rory stepped out into a white hallway with gold sconces and non-descript white doors. Looking at the door numbers, he moved down the hallway as the muffled sound of music grew louder till he could clearly hear the music.

" _Woke up quick, at about noon  
Jus' thought that I had to be in Compton soon  
I gotta get drunk before the day begins  
Before my Mother starts bitchin' about ma friends…"_

The music just happened to be coming from the door of his last delivery.

Rory was curious about who could possibly be on the other side. He couldn't imagine any of the Upper East socialites being Eazy-E fans. Knocking on the door, he waited as the music lowered slightly and he heard the sound of rushing footsteps.

The door quickly opened and standing before Rory was a beautiful, raven-haired woman wearing a thin white t-shirt—and nothing else. She looked hungover judging by the grogginess in her grey eyes and the fact that she was still wearing her makeup from the previous night.

She gave him a smile and Rory felt the blood rush over his face. Despite her disheveled coif and the fact that she had some smeared lipstick against her chin, there was a sparkle in her smile that had him swooning.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a low, teasing voice.

"D-Delivery for Katniss Everdeen?" he stammered as he stared at her. Rory reached into his bag and produced the small envelope.

"In the flesh," she replied with a wink. Taking the envelope, the woman placed it on the table next to her.

"I'll just need you to sign, ma'am." Rory clumsily searched for his signing pad when a sudden stinging smell hit his nose. Looking over the woman's shoulder, he could see smoke coming from her kitchen. "Ma'am, I think that there's something burning in your kitchen."

She whipped around just as the smoke alarm sounded. "OH SHIT!"

The woman turned to run into the kitchen, her shirt flying up.

She definitely wasn't wearing underwear.

After a few minutes, the alarm ceased and he could hear the sound of banging.

"Ma'am?" Rory usually didn't intrude into anyone's space but it was his last delivery and he still needed to make his train back to Brooklyn before his first class. "I'm going to need you to sign for your package. The sender was very specific about that."

He made his way down the hallway trying to ignore the long lavender dress that was strewn on the floor next to the pair of silver sandals along with the tie that was hanging from one of the silver sconces. A champagne bottle lay prone on the floor adjacent to a white bouquet.

Now he understood the hangover.

Walking into the kitchen, he found her bent down in front of the oven as the woman retrieved a smoking tray from the oven rack.

The low-whistle escaped his mouth without a thought.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Quickly turning around, Rory found himself facing a handsome blond—wearing nothing but a towel.

The owner of the hanging tie, he assumed.

"I really can't cook!" The woman slammed the oven shut. She looked over at the man next to Rory in exasperation. "Peeta, I think the directions are wrong!"

"Katniss, I'm pretty sure that Betty Crocker's recipe has been solid for years," the man retorted with a smirk.

"Oh, you'll take any bitch's side if she gives you a muffin!" Katniss told him with a scowl. "God forbid that you take your girlfriend's side especially when she tried very hard to bake for you!"

The man approached his girlfriend, his arm reaching around her waist to pull her against him.

"I love you," Peeta said, "You know that your muffin has always been my favorite."

Rory had a feeling that the man was no longer talking about baked goods.

Then it was like he wasn't even there.

The couple was making out like there was no tomorrow.

But, he still had a job to finish.

Rory went to Peeta aka 'Mr. Towel' and held out the signing pad. "I'm going to need you to sign, _please_."

Without even pulling his lips away from his girlfriend, the man scribbled his signature—across the whole pad.

Ripping her mouth away, Katniss turned to him and grinned as her boyfriend pressed kisses to her neck. "Close the door behind you, won't you…" She looked at his name tag. "…Rory?"

"Of course, ma'am," he replied. "Enjoy…" Rory looked around the messy kitchen, spotting a lace bra on the counter and a pair of pants next to the stove. "…breakfast."

She winked before latching her mouth back onto her boyfriend's.

Making his way down the hallway, Rory ignored the moans coming from the kitchen that he had just left.

As he closed the door, Katniss cried out. "FUCK…PEETA!"

The rest of her words were drowned out by the words of Eazy E coming from the once again turned-up music.

" _Cuz the Boyz In The Hood are always hard  
You come talkin' that trash, we'll pull ya card  
Knowin' nutin in life nut to be legit  
Don't quote me, boy cuz I ain't said shit…"_

* * *

"This muffin isn't half bad," Peeta told her as they sat on the floor of their living room. He popped a piece of her burnt muffin into his mouth. "Once you cut the burnt parts and all."

Katniss rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed in tired contentment. "You don't have to eat it."

Peeta took the butter knife next to him and cut another piece of the muffin. "It isn't." Scraping off the burnt parts, he offered the piece to her. "Open your mouth."

She shook her head at him. "Yeah, I'm not falling for that one…again."

"Come on." Peeta pouted at his girlfriend. "You really can cook."

"Fine." Her mouth wrapped around his fingers as she took the cake from him with her tongue. The feeling of her lips on his fingers caused his cock to go hard once more. Slowly, she pulled away and grinned. "Yum."

"Have I told you I love you lately?" he asked.

Katniss nodded. "I think you showed me and poor Rory how much this morning." She snapped her fingers. "I forgot that we had a delivery!"

She jumped up from her seat and Peeta watched her rush over to their entryway.

It had been four wonderful, fuck-filled months with Katniss. The best part of it all was that he woke up every day with her nestled against him in their bed. He had moved into her bedroom turning his room into a guest room.

Peeta hoped one day that they could turn it into a nursery.

But for now, they were blissfully enjoying the new found feeling of being together.

Katniss walked into the room, the envelope open and a letter in her hand. "It's a DVD from Johanna and Haymitch." She went to their television and placed the DVD in their player. "You think that they would be busy on their honeymoon and not bugging us with weird shit like this."

"Johanna is six months pregnant," Peeta replied. "I don't think that they're going to be getting that busy."

"Not according to Johanna," Katniss informed him as she joined Peeta back on the floor. "They've been fucking every which way because of those baby hormones." She turned to him with a salacious grin. "Kind of gives us a little incentive in the whole baby thing, huh?"

"I'd probably want to marry you first," he told her. "So, what's on the DVD?"

"Let me read the letter to you first," she said. " _'Dear Katniss and Peeta_ — _Hey fuckfaces! Seeing as you were so wasted last night during the wedding, we figured that you'd want to check Katniss' tour-de-force performance as Maid of Dishonor. We had the wedding videographers cut this piece out just for you. With love, Johanna and Haymitch. P.S. Our wedding coordinator was just informed this morning that you two are now officially banned from the Waldorf-Astoria.'_ "

"Remind me to send their coordinator a bottle of champagne," Peeta said. "I think she kept us from being arrested." He looked to her guiltily. "Do you think we ruined their wedding?"

"I doubt it," Katniss assured him. "Our heads would've been bashed in by now because Johanna would have stomped on them last night with her stilettos."

Turning on the television, Peeta pressed play and the screen immediately went to Johanna looking very beautiful in her silver Grecian-style dress that nicely disguised her prominent bump.

" _Where the hell are they?" she asked Haymitch, ruggedly handsome in his own tuxedo. "I'm going to kill Katniss! She is not allowed to fuck Peeta in her couture dress!" Johanna turned to the camera, her eyes blazing. "Did I say that you could record this?"_

"So maybe she was a pissed…" Katniss said. "...we'll call them when they reach Martha's Vineyard."

The camera cut off and there was some snow before the next scene began. This time, the camera was focused on Caesar Flickerman, a good friend of Haymitch's and Master of Ceremonies. He looked nervously around before Rue, the wedding coordinator, rushed over and whispered in his ear.

" _Well, it looks like we finally located the Maid of Honor for her speech," Caesar said, his bleach-white smile gleaming from across the room. "So let's bring out Katniss Everdeen!"_

"Oh my God…" Katniss watched the video in horror as she made her way on stage, her once neatly chignon hair now in disarray. "I can't believe that they still sent me up there! I could barely walk." Her lavender gown was wrinkled and it was clear that she had pushed the skirt up for some reason.

"This is so Johanna," Peeta said as he watched her on the television. He turned to her and took her hand. "She did this so she could have this recording to cherish—and hold over you."

"Hold over us." Katniss pointed to the screen to where Peeta had followed her on stage, suit rumpled with the top buttons of his shirt undone and his tie over his shoulder.

"DAMN IT!" He turned to his girlfriend. "I officially hate your cousin."

" _Johanna is my favorite cousin…" Katniss announced in a drunken stupor, her arm around Peeta. "…She always kept my secrets_ — _like when I was sixteen and I got a hickey from this guy over here." She pointed to her boyfriend. "And she lied by telling everyone that she threw a baseball at my neck."_

"My Dad and Prim were at the wedding!" She put her head in her hands in humiliation. "My Dad is going to murder me!"

Peeta patted her shoulder as he watched the train wreck of a speech. "There goes my invite to your house for Christmas."

" _She's always been there for me…" She continued. "And, when I moved to the city with Peeta, she was totally supportive even though she said that having a male roommate would kill my game. Though in actuality, it gave me a lot more game." Katniss winked at Peeta, though it looked like she had a twitch. "How many guys did you kick out of the house?"_

" _Somewhere in the double digits…" Peeta grinned at her, his eyes glazed. "But, you should thank Johanna and Haymitch—because they got our heads out of our asses and made us realize that we belonged together." He looked over at the Johanna and Haymitch, who were struggling to hold in their laughter. "Sorry that we did the dirty by your steaks that one time…"_

" _I totally want what you two have…" Katniss said, her voice wavering. "…babies are nice. I like the name Megan…" She raised her glass to the couple. "To Johanna and Haymitch!"_

"Do you really want what they have?" Peeta asked Katniss, whose face remained hidden in her hands.

She turned to him, her knees drawn up and nodded. "I do."

"That's good." Peeta sat up and reached under the couch cushion next to them. Pulling out a small velvet box, he placed it in her hand. "Open it."

"Oh my God…" Katniss opened the box, revealing the square-cut diamond on the thin white gold band. "Is this real?"

"It better fucking be—or else I spent an inordinate amount of money at Tiffany's," he said with a grin. "So do you want what they have—just our better, more badass version?"

Katniss rose up on her knees, crawling to him, before straddling his lap. She took his face in her hands.

"Ask me for real," Katniss told him softly, tears filling her smoky eyes. Her pinky was already wearing the ring. "I swear I'll say yes."

Peeta took the ring from her pinky and slid it on her ring finger. "Katniss Everdeen, will you marry me?"

Katniss leaned down and kissed him, his face still cradled in-between her palms.

"Yes!" she whispered between their kisses. Quickly standing up, Katniss held her hand out. "Come on."

Peeta grinned up at her. "Where?"

She nodded her head towards their bedroom.

"I want to have what they have," Katniss told him. She smiled shy, her eyes going down to her abdomen. "And, I really do like the name Megan."

* * *

*Songs: Boyz in the Hood—Eazy E


	5. Outtake: Megan

_The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me._

Shameless

 _ **Outtake: Megan**_

 _New York Presbyterian Hospital_

"Hey, sweetheart. I'm your Daddy."

Peeta Mellark looked down at the newborn wrapped in the soft cashmere blanket. Small bits of dark curls sprung from underneath her pink cap and as he reached down to caress her cheek, his daughter's pink lips opened in a large yawn.

"How could she be so little and make me feel like I was shitting a brick?" Katniss asked tiredly as she cradled their daughter. She gazed at her, eyes full of adoration. "You're not nearly as funny looking as other babies." Katniss winked at the man standing next to her bed. "When our girl grows up, she's going to be one of the hot chicks."

"Daddy's so getting a gun," Peeta cooed as he leaned down to kiss the baby's forehead. His eyes went to Katniss. "Still got your bow and arrows?"

She nodded earnestly.

"Her prom date is fucked," Katniss responded with a grin. "I'm kind of hoping that she ends up with Ben, though. I mean they're not that related and Haymitch would be _thrilled_ if we were in-laws."

Peeta smirked at the obvious lack of truth in the statement.

"Sir." They turned to look at the police officer standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Time is up."

"Be sure to call Johanna so she can post bail," he told Katniss before kissing her softly. "Love you."

Her hand reached to push his usually kempt hair from his face. "Love you back." She looked down at their sleeping daughter before meeting Peeta's eyes. "Don't drop the soap."

Her husband chuckled before turning to the officer and holding his wrists out. "I surrender."

The mocha-skinned officer suppressed a smile and shook his head before having Peeta turn around to put the handcuffs onto his wrists.

"Peeta Mellark, you are under arrest for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. You have the right to remain silent when questioned. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law…"

* * *

 _Six hours earlier…_

"This child is never coming out!" Katniss said as they walked through Central Park. She looked down at her large belly in irritation. "GET OUT OF ME!"

Beside the couple, a little girl walking with her mother began to cry.

Peeta turned to the little girl. "Sorry, sweetheart. She's not yelling at you."

The girl only cried harder and her mother glared at Peeta, flipping him off as she led her daughter away.

"WELL YOU TOO, LADY!" Peeta yelled to the two.

He turned to Katniss, who was rubbing her belly, ripe with their daughter—their week overdue daughter.

She met his eyes, an anguished expression on her pretty face. "She's never coming out! At this point, our kid is going to be receiving college correspondence in my uterus." Pouting at him, Katniss let out a small growl. "What am I doing wrong?"

Putting an arm around her, Peeta led her down the small road and towards a stone bridge so that they could talk in privacy. They had done everything to get their daughter out—hot food, castor oil, continuous walking, but nothing was happening.

Their girl was just as stubborn as her mother.

"You just gave her such a good home," he told Katniss. "Now, she doesn't want to come out of you."

She looked at him incredulously. "That is fucking bullshit."

"Your obstetrician said that she would induce you if we didn't get her out in two days," he promised.

As they found themselves under the stone bridge, Peeta pulled her close as his mind reflected on the last few months. They had only been engaged for a month when the stick turned pink and they had found themselves with child.

It had been a big surprise to them both.

However Haymitch, Johanna's husband, pointed out that they weren't very responsible when it came to doing the dirty as previous experience had shown.

Yes, Peeta hadn't always remembered to wear a condom and Katniss wasn't always completely diligent with taking her birth control pills…but, he didn't have to be so mean about it.

"Maybe if I pinch my nose and you blow into my mouth, she'll just shoot right out—like a cannonball," Katniss suggested eagerly.

He gave her a light smile. "I don't think that will work and it will probably hurt more than you think."

"At least I'm trying to think of suggestions." Katniss crossed her arms and glared at him petulantly. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she approached Peeta, her lips curved into a beautiful smile. "We could try the _other_ thing…"

Peeta shook his head. "No. Absolutely not."

As Katniss moved in closer, he found himself backing into a wall. "Come on, Peeta. Stop being a little wuss and give me the ol' pickle tickle," she told him easily. "I know it will work! All the second-time mommies said so at that one parenting class that we managed to attend."

"I am not having sex with you," he told her bluntly, "And it's not a pickle—it's a gherkin. The really long ones."

"Of course, sweetheart," Katniss cooed as her mouth went to his neck and all the blood from his head rushed to his cock. Her hand caressed him through his jeans and she let out a small moan feeling him hard for her. "You are my big, strong husband…" She undid the top button of his jeans and reached to take him into her soft hand.

Peeta groaned, the sound echoing through the small bridge tunnel. She was really good at that.

"It'll be quick," she promised as her lips traveled along his jawline before brushing against his dry lips. "Don't you miss being inside me? Feeling me wrapped around your cock, warm and wet, while we fuck?" Her smoky eyes looked up at his lust-glazed blues. "I know I do."

Any coherent thought he had was lost and Peeta found himself pressing Katniss gently against the wall. He sank down before her as his hands went to each side of her hips.

"Let's get this baby out of you," he told her as his hands went to the waistband of her maternity leggings.

He could already smell her arousal and his mouth watered at the thought of his cock being caressed in her throbbing, soaked sheath…

"SIR, STEP AWAY FROM THE WOMAN!"

Peeta looked to the entrance of the tunnel where a park cop was rushing towards them. He stood up, his hand quickly doing up his pants.

"Officer, this is my wife," Peeta informed the man.

The older officer looked between both of them. "Show me your identification."

They quickly scrambled to get their ID's out, Peeta from his Gucci wallet and Katniss from her small Kate Spade wristlet which she had stolen from Johanna.

The officer looked at their ID's for a moment with his flashlight before turning his eyes suspiciously at them.

Looking at Katniss, he put his flashlight to her face. "Your last name isn't the same as his."

"We just got married two months ago," Katniss said with a grimace. "Kind of a quick ceremony while my sister and Dad were in town." She put a hand to her back. "And, I haven't had time to go get it changed with the baby due at any moment."

Peeta peered at her in the dimness of the tunnel. "Babe, are you okay?"

Katniss shook her head. "No." There was a splash onto the concrete right in-between her legs. "Now, I'm really not fine."

Grabbing his wife's hand, Peeta began to pull her towards the tunnel opening. "We have to get to the hospital—"

"Sir, I did not say you could leave," the officer said angrily, his voice reaching a nasally pitch that grated on Katniss' ears and she let out a groan. "You exposed yourself in Central Park—"

"My wife is in labor!" Peeta yelled as he got in the officer's face. "Get the hell out of the way!"

"Sir, you will have to stay until I finish writing your citation—"

The punch was swift and effective, breaking the man's nose, and rendering him unconscious.

"Did you kill him?" Katniss asked as she walked over the prone body.

"No, I just gave us enough time to grab a taxi!" Peeta replied as he guided her out of the tunnel and into the sunshine. "Let's go!"

* * *

 _New York Presbyterian Hospital_

Nurse Delly Cartwright loved working in the maternity ward. She had always enjoyed working with children and she was with them at the most pivotal part of their lives.

The beginning.

As she began her shift, Delly went through the patient list, checking on the women whom she was in charge of for the day.

Suddenly, a note caught her eyes. "There's someone in the suite?"

One of the newer nurses nodded her head over to the doorway where a tall, dark-skinned officer stood outside the door.

Suddenly, the door opened and a nurse rushed out—a bedpan flying out the door along with her. The nurse looked into the room once more before rushing down the opposite hallway in tears.

"Oh, wow," Delly muttered. "Who's in there?"

"Mrs. Mellark is actually really nice," the nurse, a young man with a sweet smile, informed her. "However twenty minutes ago—her epidural wore off. Then, there's—"

A handsome blond-haired man burst out into the hallway followed by a police officer holding an ice pack to his nose.

"You're under arrest!" The injured officer yelled in a high-pitched, aggravating voice.

"I understand that!" The man responded in a booming voice. "My wife is in labor and you barging into our room is not helping! Go ahead and have me arrested—after she gives birth. But, for now get the fuck away from me before I break something else of yours that can't be repaired!"

The policeman who had been outside the door went his comrade as Delly squared her shoulders and approached the men.

"Cool off," the officer said gently to the injured officer. "Go to your precinct and fill out your incident report. I will make the arrest when they're finished."

"But, it's my arrest!" The other officer whined.

"Officers," Delly found herself interjecting. "You're upsetting my patient." She looked into the open door of the room where the blond man was holding the hand of a sweaty but very beautiful, raven-haired woman. "I will have to file a report against you if you do anything that might cause harm. I suggest you leave—for now."

The officer with the ice pack to his nose nodded curtly before rushing to the elevators across from them.

"Thank you, ma'am." She looked over at the officer beside her. He gave her a handsome smile. "I never know how to handle the overinflated ones." He held his hand out to her. "Officer Moore—Cinna Moore."

She took his hand and gave it a quick shake. "Nurse Delly Cartwright."

"The Mellarks seem really nice so I was hoping I would be able to deter him," Cinna informed her. "I have orders, however, to wait until after the birth to arrest Mr. Mellark."

Delly looked at the couple, who were now swapping kisses. "What exactly were they doing?"

Cinna laughed softly. "Trying to get that baby out—in Central Park."

Her eyes widened and she held in a smile.

"HOLY SHIT! CONTRACTION!"

Mrs. Mellark was now gripping her husband's hand as he let out a silent scream.

Delly winked at the cute officer. "I think that they're going to be an interesting couple to work with."

* * *

 _Seven Hours Later…_

"And then, Daddy said 'So do you want what they have—just our better, more badass version?'" Katniss spoke softly to her daughter as Delly walked into the room. "Then, Mommy said yes and we celebrated with lots of—" The woman stopped, her cheeks going red. "—chocolate."

"Chocolate?" Delly said as she went to Katniss' chart at the end of the bed. "Is that what the cool kids call it now?"

"What exactly am I supposed to say to her?" Katniss asked with a grin. "That we celebrated by nailing each other so hard that we both had to ice our groins the day after?"

"You have a few years to work on the story," Delly retorted with a grin. "Cinna just brought Peeta down to their squad car but he assured me that he wouldn't put Peeta in a cell. Just make sure that the bail gets down there."

"My cousin is already on it," the new mother said. "So did you get Cinna's number?"

Delly blushed before pulling out a folded Post-It. "He gets off the same time that I do."

Katniss snorted as she adjusted the little bundle in her arms. "That's what she said."

The new mother leaned down to tenderly kiss her daughter's forehead.

Delly's eyes welled at the sight. "So what are you naming her?"

Katniss' eyes remained on her daughter, her smile soft as she responded.

"Megan."

* * *

*Before you ask, Johanna and Katniss are actually third cousins so their kids hooking up wouldn't be too bad…though Haymitch is totally against it.


End file.
